Fresh push to find the real 'Beast of Birkenhead' killer

Crimestoppers has offered a £20,000 reward for information after fresh DNA testing cleared Peter Sullivan, who had spent 38 years in prison for the 1986 murder of Diane Sindall.

Diane Sindall was killed in Birkenhead in August 1986. Peter Sullivan was convicted in connection with the case and spent 38 years in prison before fresh DNA testing led to his clearance and release in May 2025. The Criminal Cases Review Commission ordered retesting in 2023, which produced a new male DNA profile that did not match Sullivan. Merseyside Police reopened the investigation and have sought voluntary DNA samples as part of their inquiries. Known developments: - Crimestoppers has offered a £20,000 reward for information that could lead to a conviction, and the offer is in place until April. - The new DNA profile recovered in retesting did not match Peter Sullivan and did not return a hit on the national DNA database. - Merseyside Police say 461 men who provided voluntary samples have been eliminated from the inquiry and a further 41 samples are being tested. - The Criminal Cases Review Commission ordered the fresh testing in 2023 that produced the new profile. - Peter Sullivan has said he was pressured into a false confession in 1986; Merseyside Police have referred those comments to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Summary: The case has been reopened following DNA retesting that cleared Peter Sullivan and produced a new male profile, and investigators continue to process remaining samples and leads. A £20,000 Crimestoppers reward is available for information given anonymously to the charity, and further test results and any subsequent legal steps are undetermined at this time.